ICY weather on Boxing Day did what Government legislation has so far failed to do and stopped the hunt.

But although treacherous conditions kept many horses in their stables, Tiverton Foxhounds still gathered for their annual meet outside the Tiverton Pannier Market before parading through the town's streets.

"There aren't many horses here today because we can't get them out at home, and we haven't been hunting now for a week," said Kelvin Thomas of the Tiverton Foxhounds, who are based in Hensleigh.

"Every year the crowd just gets bigger and bigger, which is fantastic. It's a pity we can't have all the horses here as we normally do, but that's the way it is."

The hunting ban has proved less of a problem than the weather.

"We're still hunting within the law and we're made welcome by and large wherever we go," he said.

"Many of the people here today appreciate hunting isn't easy under the current legislation, but we have kept going, and as I said many years ago, we'll keep coming back here every year until that's straightened out."

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Tiverton & Honiton Neil Parish was there to support the hunt, and vowed that a Tory government would ask for a repeal of the Fox Hunting Act of 2004. The legislation, which took effect in February 2005, has proved difficult to enforce, and some commentators condemned Tony Blair's Government for giving in to what they considered the prejudicial views of anti-hunting Labour backbenchers.

Mr Parish said: "You can see by the number of people around here how much they support it. It's good for the countryside, good for Tiverton and it's great to see it carry on.

"This is a very rural constituency, with a lot of hunting people, so it will be a key issue in parts like this during the next election.

"Not everybody supports hunting, and we have to make sure people understand what the hunt are doing — and to make sure it's done properly. I believe it's very much a country sport that should carry on and most people will understand that."

The hunt's Artie Biles donned a Santa Claus outfit and collected money for the staff who look after the horses and the hounds.

He added: "This money goes to the staff as a thank-you for all the work they've done over the year. We normally raise around £250.

"A lot of work goes into not just looking after the animals, but also rebuilding the hedges, putting up new fences up keeping the farmers and landowners happy."